NOVEL NEXT Chapter 612
612——————==
**Dark Heaven Village**
“What about that guy?”
As I looked at Zhuge Sa with curious eyes, he spoke up.
“First of all, if you want to obtain the Earth Star, it’s clear that immense hardships await you. Those hardships won’t be solvable by just skill alone. So what else do we need besides skill?”
I picked up on Zhuge Sa’s words and shouted,
“Luck!”
“That’s right. It’s about receiving the blessing of Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu.”
I see!
Absolutely, strong luck is essential to challenge someone as unfamiliar as the Earth Star. This isn’t just a choice; it’s a prerequisite.
“But for now, we don’t have enough information about Seo Mun-hye, so it feels a bit premature to seek that blessing and dive in…”
Zhuge Sa replied brusquely.
“Who said otherwise? It’s not like we can only perform the Offering Ceremony once in the Celestial Realm. With Hyun and Cheon Woo-jin on our side, as long as we have enough treasures, we can do it as many times as needed.”
“Hmmm.”
“Of course, having two or more blessings…”
Just as Zhuge Sa was about to say something, Mangnyang suddenly interjected.
“Uncle, my thoughts differ a bit.”
“Hyun, do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Yes, it’s the most efficient route. However, I wonder if we could forsake optimal efficiency and aim for collective growth.”
“… Oh.”
Zhuge Sa seemed to ponder deeply, closing his eyes as if reading Mangnyang’s mind. Then he spoke.
“So you suggest widening the scope of cause and effect for the benefit of future generations. Have you thought of anyone?”
“I’d like to leave that to Baek Woong’s preference.”
“You mean you’re leaving it to the intuition of a reborn person? That may very well be right.”
What are the strategists chatting about among themselves?
While I was feeling dazed, Zhuge Sa said,
“Baek Woong, my thoughts have changed. Listen carefully to what I say from now on…”
Then Zhuge Sa shared a strategy with me. After hearing that plan, I finally understood why Mangnyang had jumped in. And while I was secretly admiring their cunning, Zhuge Sa continued.
“I plan to investigate Dark Heaven Village and that door in more detail. It will likely be a short-term battle, so there’s no need to worry about anything else. Once the celestial Offering Ceremony is complete, gather as many treasures as possible.”
“Got it.”
As I nodded, Mangnyang stared at me quietly and spoke.
“Baek Woong, I have something curious.”
“What is it?”
“You acquired the Divine Sword of Yeodong-bin in your 23rd life. Can it still be manifested now?”
Now that I think about it, I had completely forgotten about it since starting this life. The moment the words escaped my mouth, I focused on levitating the Divine Sword above my right hand.
Sssss—
“Ugh!”
However, I suddenly froze due to a sharp pain in my heart. A shocked Mangnyang asked me,
“Baek Woong, what’s going on?”
“……”
I tried once more to concentrate and summon the Divine Sword, but it still didn’t work, and instead, I felt a pain like my internal organs were being stabbed. My magical force remained intact. I wondered if it was a matter of cause and effect, but the pain and its effects felt too direct, so I fell into thought.
‘Why is this happening?’
Though it felt like the Divine Sword wouldn’t be summoned, strangely, the unique tight sensation I felt when handling the Divine Sword was present. It wasn’t that I couldn’t unleash it at all; it just felt tightly sealed multiple times over. Sharing my feeling with Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa, Mangnyang observed me cautiously before speaking.
“Don’t attempt it anymore now that you know.”
“Do you have any guesses?”
“Though Yeodong-bin transformed into the Divine Sword, the Divine Sword Technique is actually the technique of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. In other words, you’ve succeeded in learning the Divine Sword Technique, but since you don’t know the exact formulas, incantations, or elements, manifesting it may be impossible.”
“Then what is this stabbing pain?”
“That’s right.”
“What can be thought of is… the Divine Sword Technique is different from typical techniques. And perhaps every time you attempt the Divine Sword Technique now, it might be resonating with the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Yeodong-bin.”
“……!!”
I was startled. So this is causing a reaction in the Great Immortal of the Celestial Realm just by trying to cast the technique? As I felt uneasy, Mangnyang continued.
“It would be wise to consult a priest about the details. Plus, there isn’t much time left until the celestial calamity strikes, so let’s hurry.”
*Pa-at!*
I headed toward Master Mangnyang’s village with Mangnyang. As always, I buried the Heavenly Secret and met Cheon Woo-jin. He wore his usual irritating expression as he tried to chase us away, but Mangnyang managed to persuade him a bit, allowing us to enter.
*Rumble…*
Cheon Woo-jin glanced at the sky and remarked,
“The celestial energy isn’t good. If you had come just three moments later, the celestial calamity would’ve struck immediately.”
“Hmmm, it seems like time is tight for preparing the Offering.”
“Not necessarily. We can manage with a simplified version.”
Cheon Woo-jin decided to reduce the number of flags to be put up by 90%, placing only 10% in the designated locations. It seemed he decided to take on the remaining burden with his magical abilities. I contemplated giving him the obsidian for the ritual, but I decided to hold off since he needed to focus on the ceremony.
A moment later, the celestial Offering Ceremony began, and the first to appear was Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu.
[The Offering is well received, humans.]
Until now, I’d either obediently listened to those words or remarked sarcastically. But this time, I had no intention of doing either. Because the form that Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu showed at the end of my 23rd life was incredibly suspicious.
An immense magical technique that drags Gong Gong into chaos, plus the fact that he referred to himself as the observer of the Queen Mother of the West—most importantly, even though the Three Pure Ones were annihilated by the Queen Mother of the West, the embodiment of Spirit Treasure Heaven Master, Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, didn’t perish! That was the perfect evidence that Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu is not merely the embodiment of the Three Pure Ones, but another black mask!
I dearly wanted to ask all sorts of questions of Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, but I swallowed my itchy words. If that guy is truly the black mask, it wouldn’t answer openly, only heightening its wariness.
Instead, I said slyly,
“O Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, I would like to receive the blessing of another Great Immortal as the price for the Offering.”
Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, who seemed about to say something, intriguingly replied.
[Oh? Whose blessing would you like to receive?]
“That would be… Celestial Sage Mi-hu King.”
[……]
Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu showed a rather flustered expression. It seemed they didn’t expect me to mention Celestial Sage Mi-hu King. Then, speaking in disbelief, it said,
[The, the Celestial Sage might not have a blessing to give…]
“Maybe he does. Just call upon him.”
[No, Mi-hu King is busy with celestial affairs…]
I felt annoyed by the whiny Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu and shouted.
“Just call him, will you!!”
[…Okay, fine…]
Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu waved briefly and vanished in a puff of smoke, passing the turn to the next.
After a moment, Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu returned, and Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze returned to normal. Considering his spirit had been released, both Mangnyang and I were startled, and Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t hide his surprise either.
“Ah… could it be that Celestial Sage Mi-hu King is…”
Just then.
*Shooosh!!*
A colorful cloud darted at high speed across the hall, and after that dizzying scene continued for about a moment, a monkey sage appeared before us.
“Yahaaa!”
He let out an inexplicable shout, grinning like a mischievous child as he stared at us, riding on a cloud.
“Wahahaha!! Who are these audacious fellows that called for me?”
“……!!”
Celestial Sage Mi-hu King!
I couldn’t help but be shocked as he revealed himself right before our eyes. I had assumed he would just possess Cheon Woo-jin’s spirit, but who knew he’d fly here on his physical form? As we stood there amazed, Celestial Sage Mi-hu King scratched his ear.
“Why are you so surprised? I’m half-god and half-demon, so separating my body and spirit is more bothersome. Since my cloud is fast enough, it’s just smoother to fly directly from the outskirts of the Celestial Realm.”
I see!
Typically, Great Immortals are powerful high spirits, and it’s common for them to do possession. However, Celestial Sage was uniquely appointed while possessing a physical form, so it makes sense that it would be easier for him to move in that state.
‘I never considered a scenario like this…’
Though flustered, this wouldn’t drastically change the plan. Regaining my composure, I bowed to Celestial Sage and said,
“I, Baek Woong, wish to receive the favor of your blessing as the price for the Offering!”
“Hmm… I see…”
Feeling slightly bashful, Celestial Sage scratched his cheek and spoke.
“Though it’s a bit awkward for me to say, I’m not a Well-Known Immortal among the common folk, you know? I’m famous among the immortals, but ordinary folks don’t really know me. But do you specifically want my blessing for a reason?”
“……”
He smirked as if teasing us.
“Because I’m not well-known, I might not be able to give you a good blessing~ It might be nothing more than some low-tier magic~”
Celestial Sage’s words were true. Unless you’re an experienced Taoist or a genuine Immortal entrenched in the magical arts, very few would know Celestial Sage Mi-hu King’s name. Given that the higher your prominence, the stronger your abilities as a Great Immortal, our choice to name Celestial Sage Mi-hu King as the price for the Seven Luminaries Offering must have seemed quite strange.
I pondered what to say, but eventually just started speaking whatever came to mind.
“Well, if that’s the case, I could increase your recognition while I’m active, can’t I?”
Curious, Celestial Sage’s eyes widened.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Well, I could write a dance or music, or even… a novel to spread your prestige.”
“How widely will you spread it?”
“I will make it all the rage in the capital, Luoyang.”
What kind of nonsense is this?
I felt absurd as soon as I said it, but there was no taking it back now that the words were out.
“Oh? Ohhhhh?”
Celestial Sage’s eyes began to shine like a crescent moon. He suddenly seemed cheery, letting out a monkey-like squeal as he laughed heartily.
“Keakakaka!! Is that for real? A story for me would be downright amusing! Should it be about my travels to Tianzhu?”
“Uh…”
“It’ll be fun! This is just a casual visit, but I’m so glad I came today~”
Celestial Sage, looking as pleased as a drunken person, shouted,
“Alright! I shall grant you a blessing, Baek Woong! I’ll make sure to give it strongly!”
*Fwhoosh!*
Suddenly, as Celestial Sage reached out toward me, a blue light enveloped my body. I felt an intense spirit energy surging within me, and soon knew that a definite ability had been granted to me. As the light faded, Celestial Sage rode away on his cloud, and his voice echoed in the hall.
[The story title, I’ll think of it later!!]
“……”
No, that’s not the important part!
You need to tell me what powers I gained!
I was left feeling dumbfounded yet again for not hearing an explanation about my ability. What is it with these Great Immortals refusing to explain the abilities they grant? As I stood there puzzled, Cheon Woo-jin grumbled irritably.
“Wishing to write a novel about a monkey Immortal’s journey? What a pathetic fellow.”
“Huh?”
“What kind of material would even pique interest? What on earth are you planning to write about?”
I shrugged, referencing the information I’d once heard from Celestial Sage.
“Well… maybe about how Celestial Sage Mi-hu King traveled to Tianzhu with the legendary monk Tripitaka?”
Cheon Woo-jin scoffed.
“Haha! What is that? No matter how much of a novel it is, I’ll bet no one will read it. I’d rather read some risque tale than that. Even if I wrote, it’d be better than that story. What shall I title it? How about ‘The Plum in the Golden Vase’? Seriously…”
“……”
I thought he was only into farming, but it seems he also has a taste for novels?
As he smacked his tongue, Cheon Woo-jin said,
“Anyway, if you’ve finished what you’re doing, then be off.”
Just as Cheon Woo-jin said, we had completed our tasks. Zhuge Sa’s plan was to receive Xiang Yu’s blessing this time and then accumulate Tai Xu’s great luck right before challenging Dark Heaven Village. That way, we’d almost certainly procure the Earth Star.
However, Mangnyang raised an objection to that strategy. Instead of solely pursuing efficiency at once, he suggested increasing the number of immortals connected to me through ‘cause and effect.’ Regardless, anyone who once granted a blessing or favor to me connects with me via cause and effect. If in the future I reincarnate, enhancing that cause and effect would help broaden my strategic options.
So this time, I chose not to request Xiang Yu’s blessing deliberately and instead opted for the mightiest seer I knew: Celestial Sage Mi-hu King. The reason I was excited was that I was curious about the kind of power Celestial Sage Mi-hu King would bestow upon me.
“Wait a moment, I have a question.”
I caught Cheon Woo-jin and handed him the obsidian.
“What is this strange gem?”
At first, Cheon Woo-jin seemed reluctant to accept the obsidian, but after Mangnyang persuaded him, he reluctantly accepted it. Moments later, as he absorbed its memories, his expression grew sharp.
“……!!”
Once he passed on the memory, I asked gravely,
“I have something to ask.”
Now that he’d retrieved the memory, there was no need for formalities.
I told Cheon Woo-jin about my inability to summon the Divine Sword and the pain I was undergoing. He stared at me blankly before replying.
“That phenomenon?”
He sighed after a moment.
“… You’ve caught the attention of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman!”